Socket wrench



J. JOHNSON SOCKET WRENCH Filed Aug. 21, 1944 INVENTOR RICHARD J. JOHNSON ATTORNEY I Patented Aug. 7, 194 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOCKET WRENCH Richard J. Johnson, San Francisco, Calif.

Application August 21, 1944, Serial No. 550,367

3Claims. (01. 81-90) This invention relates to socket wrenches, particularly to the type of wrenches provided with projecting nibs for engaging a slotformed in the outer face of a nut to be screwed onto orbit of a threaded bolt.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved wrench of this type which will also engage the threads of the bolt and screw along the bolt with the nut to thereby prevent the projecting nibs of the wrench from becoming disengaged from the slot in the face of the nut. Other advantages of the invention Will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved socket wrench.

Fig. 2 shows the threaded end of a bolt with a slotted round countersunk nut thereon and in alignment with the wrench of Fig. 1 so that the wrench may be slipped over the end of the bolt to engage the slot of the nut. 1

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the slotted round hea of the nut.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the wrench showing its nibs, and central socket or bore to receive the end of the bolt when the nibs engage the slot of the nut.

Before describing the drawing in detail, it may be said that the particular service for which the wrench was designed was for screwing up or unscrewing slotted round head countersunk or flush nuts on the bolts which hold the joint" straddling plates which are used to connect the ends of large conveyor bolts, but of course my improved wrench may be used on this type of bolt and nut for any desired service.

In Fig. 2 the bolt is designated I, and is generally provided with a square countersunk head (not shown) so that the bolt cannot turn when the countersunk nut is screwed up.

The nut 2 of the bolt is round and of the countersunk flat face type formed with a slot 3 across its face to receive the nibs of a special wrench or screw driver for screwing the nut down over the threads 4 of the bolt to a tight seat flush within a countersunk hole in the member to be secured, and after which the projecting bolt end is cut off close to the outer surface of the nut.

The special wrench of the invention especially devised for screwing such countersunk slotted round nuts in place comprises, as shown in Fig. 1, a cylindrical body 5 which is preferably provided at its rear end with a shank having a squared portion 6 for grasping'in the chuck of a carpenters bit brace, and the body is provided with a central socket or bore 1 open at the forward end of the body and of a size tofreely slide over the threaded portion of the bolt l, and the forward rim of the hollow body is provided with a pair of projecting nibs 8 of a size to nicely engage the-slot 3 of the nut 2 when the body 5 .of the wrench is slid over the bolt, so that the nut may be screwed up by turnin the wrench as by a carpenters bit brace or otherwise.

However, as such wrenches are prone to back away from their work when the nut is tight, and

the nibs slip out of the slot, means is provided to prevent this and which comprises a pair of movable or rockable jaws 9 mounted in slots l0 formed in the outer wall of the body 5 and which jaws extend through the deeper forward ends Iii of the slots and are provided with threads I! corresponding in pitch with the threads of the bolt and adapted to engage the threads of the bolt from opposite sides when the forward ends of the jaws are rocked inward.

To rock the jaws into engaging or disengaging relation to the bolt threads, the shanks 9' of the jaws are slightlycurved so that they will rock in the slots Ill, and a slidable collar I2 is provided which embraces the tool body 9 and passes over the shanks of the jaws as well, all so that as the collar is slid forward in direction of the arrow it will depress the threaded jaws 9 into engagement with the bolt threads (if the bolt is extending into the socket l), and if slid rearwardly to the position shown in the drawing or a bit farther it will rock the jaw shanks to swing the threaded jaws from the bolt threads. To limit the sliding movement of the collar along the body of the tool any convenient form of stop may be used, but I prefer to provide a groove I3 along. the outside of the body into which a small pin or end of a screw l4 extends from the collar, and preferably the ends of the groove notches l3 extending respectively in opposite directions so that at the ends of the sliding movement of the collar a slight turn on it will lock it, either in engaged or disengaged position.

In use of my improved wrench, the round countersunk slotted nut is screwed over the bolt by hand as far as practicable, the socket wrench i-s slipped over the bolt to bring its nibs 8 into engagement with the slot 3 of the nut, then the sliding collar [2 is moved forwardly to force the threaded jaws '9 into engagement with the bolt threads and the collar given a slight turn to lock it in the groove notch, and after which the wrench [3 are formed with side may be turned with a carpenter's brace or with a socket wrench or tap wrench or any suitable handle applied to the squared end 6 of its shank. The wrench being locked to the threads of the bolt will of course follow the nut either way it is screwed and cannot possibly slip out of the slot of the nut, but may freely be removed after sliding the releasing collar l2 rearwardly to disengage the jaws 9.

Having thus described my improved wrench and the manner of its use, what I claim is:

1. In a nut wrench having a socket for freely receiving the threaded end of the bolt on which a nut is to be screwed, and with forwardly projecting nibs at the end of the socket for engaging a transverse slot in the face of the nut, the improvement which comprises a threaded jaw movably mounted on the wrench in a manner for engaging or disengaging the threads of the boltadjacent the nut so as to lock the wrench to the bolt for traveling with the nut as the wrench is turned, a shank extending from said jaw positioned in a groove formed in the wrench body, and a manually movable collar engaging said shank for moving the jaw in and out of thread engaging position.

2. In a nut wrench having a socket for freely receiving the threaded end of the bolt upon which a nut is to be screwed, and with forwardly projecting nibs at the end of the socket for engaging a transverse slot in the face of the nut, the improvement which comprises a plurality of threaded jaws movably mounted in recesses formed in the body of the wrench, shanks respectively extending from said jaws rockably mounted in recesses formed in the wrench, and manually operated means for rocking said shanks for moving said threaded jaws into and out of engagement with the threads .of the bolt.

3. In a nut wrench having a socket for freely receiving the threaded end of the bolt upon which a nut is to be screwed, and with forwardly projecting nibs at the end of the socket for engaging a transverse slot in the face of the nut, the improvement which comprises a plurality of threaded jaws movably mounted in recesses formed in the body of the wrench, shanks respectively extending from said jaws rockably mounted in recesses formed in the wrench, and manually operated means for rocking said shanks for moving said threaded jaws into and out of engagement with the threads of the bolt, and means for lock ing the manually operated meansin either position.

RICHARD J. JOHNSON. 

